New to fishing? Start here

1🎣 Get the right starter gear (and skip the rest)

One spinning rod and reel will catch most fish from a pier, beach or mangrove edge. A 7-foot medium rod with a 2500–4000 size reel and 10–15 lb line is a great all-around start in Puerto Rico and along the U.S. coast.

Your small kit: a pack of hooks (size 1 to 2/0 circle hooks), a few sinkers, swivels, 3–4 simple jigs, needle-nose pliers, line clippers, a bucket, a towel and a cooler with ice.

Don't waste money on a bag full of lures or an expensive reel. Learn first, then buy what you need for the fish you like.

2🪢 Tie your first two knots

Learn two knots and you can fish almost anywhere: the improved clinch (to tie on a hook, swivel or lure) and the Palomar (very strong and easy). Practice at home with a hook and some line until you can tie each one without looking.

Always wet the knot with a little water or spit before you pull it tight, then trim the tag end.

3📍 Pick an easy place to start

Start where fish come to you: public piers, jetties, beaches and mangrove edges. Structure like pilings, rocks and grass edges holds bait, and bait brings fish.

Go early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and fish when the tide is moving (the hour or two around high or low tide).

4🦐 Use a bait almost every fish eats

Shrimp (live or frozen) catches almost everything near shore. Squid strips and small cut fish work great too. Put a small piece on the hook; a ball of bait the size of your thumb is plenty.

Good first fish: snappers, grunts, jacks and mojarra in the Caribbean; spot, croaker and whiting in Virginia and the Carolinas; pinfish, sheepshead and seatrout in Florida and the Gulf.

5🐟 Hook, land and let fish go the right way

When you feel a bite with a circle hook, don't jerk: just reel steady and lift. Keep the line tight while you bring the fish in.

Wet your hands before you touch a fish, hold it level and support its belly. Use pliers to take the hook out. If the hook is deep, cut the line close to the hook instead of pulling.

Watch for spines and teeth. Some fish can hurt you, so learn which ones before you grab.

6☀️ Stay safe and enjoy it

Bring water, sunscreen, a hat and polarized sunglasses (they also help you see fish). Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.

Wet rocks and jetties are slippery: wear good shoes and watch the waves. On a boat or kayak, wear a life jacket. If you hear thunder, get off the water and away from the rod.

7🍽 Take care of your catch and cook it

If you keep a fish, put it on ice right away. A cold fish tastes much better. Clean it the same day.

Start with simple recipes: fried, grilled or in a stew. BigJoe has more than 1,200 recipes with side dishes. Big barracuda and other large reef predators can carry a natural toxin, so new anglers are best off eating smaller reef fish.

8🚤 Keep learning: your next steps

Learn which fish live where and at what depth, check the rules for your area, and when you get on a boat, learn to read a fish finder.

Share your first catch on the Catch Wall. BigJoe would love to see it!